Katie's Perfume Collection Update: Part 2




Ready for another nose around my perfume collection? (Remember, pinky out when handling Amouage attars -- if you're fancy!) In Part 2 of my perfume collection update, verbal sketches are scribbled of the following olfactory paintings:

1. Prada Myrrhe No. 10

2. Amouage Ayoon al Maha (Fawn's Eyes)

3. L'Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant

4. L'Artisan Parfumeur Mon Numéro 8


Please click on the perfume names for more information.

For Part 1 of my perfume collection update, click here. For Part 3, click here.

36 comments:

  1. I'v been umming and ahhing about Safran Troublant. I remember when I first sampled it on a blotter at Harrods, I was quite taken with it. I felt it had a sparkling quality. The second time I tried it at the boutique in Covent Garden, I found it more gourmand and wasn't sure it worked on my skin.

    It conjures up Indian sweets for me with the mixture of candied rose (water) and saffron. It's not one of their widely available fragrances, is it?

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    1. It's pretty available, from what I've seen...it just depends on what the individual shops decide to carry. I note that Liberty doesn't have it, but I know it's still going strong elsewhere...

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    2. Another question (I'm just full of them today): A scent I've been wondering about recently is Montale's White Aoud. Unfortunately since the Montales aren't available anywhere in the UK and am unable to sample it, I wonder if it is different enough from Saffron Troublant (given the similarity in fragrance notes) to warrant both being in the same collection?

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  2. k. couple of thoughts: I too fell in love (i thought) with the Prada Myrrhe. Unfortunately, the boutique here in SF only had a partial tester and nothing else. The SA was "desolee" but could not sell me anything. I spoke with the manager. They called to all Prada boutiques in continental US to try to find me a bottle (looks like it was discontinued at the time). I stood around, waiting patiently, with a little demented smile on my face which drew nervous glances from the staff . When they told me, no, sorry, there were no bottles available of this anywhere, I proceeded to try and convince them to sell me the tester. Appealing to their capitalist greed, I thought. I could see the manager reaching surreptitiously for the panic button. Finally, in order to keep other customers from walking out and realizing that having the swat team remove me would attract bad press for Prada, they sold me the partial bottle (at full price mind you).
    all in a parfumista's day :::fanning self::::
    except that.. I got home, applied it and went "blech!". Right. We've all been there so don't look at me like that. I think I passed that bottle on to someone a long time ago.

    Mon Numero 8: yes. loved it in theory. It went all cold cream on me. Nice cold cream, but Ponds all the way. However, Mon Numero 7 is my number. Delicious tea which blends into a gorgeous garland of tuberose and jasmine (though not at all indolic) and ends on a mossy chypre base. My favorite Duchaufour so far. Try it out.

    Amouage attars unfortunately = monkey's butt on my skin. No one wants that.

    Have you tried Musc Tonkin from Parfum d'Empire? Marvelous feat of clean/filthy facets wooshing back and forth on skin. A treasure.

    Thanks for sharing the beauties!

    Dr Anonymous

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    1. Dr Anonymous, I've enjoyed Musc Tonkin, it puts me in mind of Lutens Musc Kublai Khan.

      I probably interacted with that exact same bottle of Musc on my trip to that Prada shop in 2010. That's when I first discovered it. Did the same as you: made them phone around the US for it. Also called all the shops again later. Ended up getting a bottle in London.

      As somewhat of a myrrh completist, I'm glad to have the bottle in my collection, but I must admit that I...mmmm...*never* wear it. But I visit it regularly, smelling out of the bottle.

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    2. So it's a scent that got into the VIP area, only to be cruelly ignored once there? Charming!

      Is it different from Huitième Art's Myrrhiad (one that I understand, you've sampled), in that is it better or worse?

      PS I love myrrh too. I grow roses that specifically smell of it!

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    3. Ash, which rose smells of myrrh? Sounds like divinity!

      Myrrhiad is indeed different to the Prada, which is more aromatic and "masculine". The Huitième Art myrrh is sweet and soft, heading towards the Guerlain Myrrhe & Delires.

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    4. Well, this for one:

      http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/showrose.asp?showr=2934

      Oh how I love English roses! Gorgeous!

      However I believe myrrh is a fragrance that is a trait of some old roses, of which some of David Austin's varieties are descended from.

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  3. This is lots of fun going through your collection with you.
    They all sound wonderful but I must admit that No.8 sounds great!

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    1. I sampled mon numero 8 based on the description but mostly because of Katie's review and the whole Porny ballerina idea - Once I received the first of what would become several sample orders of no.8, it took a couple of tries before I really started digging it- but, immediately got the porny ballerina reference! It is soo lovely and I totally get the reference to Love chloe- however,numero 8 is much preferable to me- a little more complex, a little more sophisticated and just all over more intriguing, in my opinion...I dunno if it's just the porny ballerina term that got me thinking in this direction- but I get the faintest whiff of brand new, dusty pink capezio leather ballet shoe from it, also- and my sis agrees. GREAT VIDEO, Katie! I must ask- did you purposely leave behind some of your faves in London for the thrill of the reuniting?

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    2. Glad you're all enjoying the video. pinkcash, I left perfume faves behind because I was traveling light, and I knew I'd have plenty of other choices awaiting me in LA.

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  4. Never noticed it before, but in this video I realized you look like Michelle Williams when you smile! (Do you hate when people tell you you look like someone famous? I have an overactive X-looks-like-Y department in my brain.)

    I'm liking these updates! Tell me, do you have any embarrassing bottles in your collection, or are they all super-classy and niche? :)

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    1. My first series of perfume collection vids include my veteran bottles of mall-ier, drug store stuff. But since they're in my collection, I must like them, so I staunchly stand by them with no embarrassment.

      Lookee-likees: I've had a few Michelle W comments since she came along, before that it was Renee Zellweger, and before her it was Janeane Garofalo. Basically, whoever's on the scene with round faces and big mouths and little eyes (although Janeane G has big eyes)!

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    2. Janeane Garofalo?! That seems crazy but I guess if I ignore the hair I can kind of see it. Your eyes aren't particularly small! Or if they are, mine are too. Guess I'm in the small eyes club.

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    3. Telephone call for kate nash; it's katie Puckrik calling from the nineties; she wants her look back.

      http://popdust.com/slideshow/kate-nash-fashion-week/18-photos-of-kate-nash-at-fashion-week-10/

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  5. Small eyes...round face...big mouth...whatever...you're pure fabulousness to me! I aspire to be as funny AND as eloquent as you someday...

    ps I LOVE LOVE LOVE perfume and smells in general...I'm new to this world of haut parfum...your reviews are great! I'm a FAN!

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    1. Thanks for the glow job! And welcome to the fumiverse.

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  6. Where did you find the Amouage Ayoon?

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    1. I bought my Ayoon Al Maha at the Amouage flagship store in London in Knightsbridge.

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  7. I love snuffling around your collection Katie. Portia xx

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    1. Maybe if I bug Portia here too, he will share his collection with us!!! I think several videos from him, would be equally awesome!!!!

      Both your video, and Portia's, make me smile!!!!!!

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  8. Of course that was great!!!

    Do you know of any other attars, in addition to Amouage, that are wonderful?

    When I was in highschool, my dad was in the military, and he would often bring back these awesome oils for us. Now I know them to be attars, but I have no idea who made them, and my dad certainly has no idea.

    Amouage is way out of my budget.

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    1. My only in-depth experience is with the Amouage attars. I've tried cheaper ones at Arabian Oud in central London, but they didn't transport me.

      A young Omani lady I know tells me good attars are available from Rasasi, Al-Haramin and Ajmal - you might check out their websites and go from there.

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    2. It's worth knowing that some of the Amouage attars are much more affordable - I tried some today, in fact, and they are wafting deliciously up from my wrist as I type! If Arline can get to an Amouage boutique, she can do a comprehensive sniffage. I have one on now that is honey-jasmine-musk that is divine and about a tenth of the price of Homage. Another is rosemary-orange blossom- citrus; I'm getting it for my mother as she'd go bonkers for it, also way less spendy. Hope this helps. Justineantonia xoxo

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    3. Also, Ajmal is lovely but much more of a 'perfume oil' than an attar; much less concentrated. But pretty and very affordable. I get them as gifts when I travel home. Justineantonia xoxo

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    4. Thank you both.

      Unfortunately, I live in Memphis TN, and alas, there is really nothing great in the way of perfume here. I will need to leave town to explore.

      I would love to smell the Amouage attars some time in the near future.

      I will check out Al-Haramin and Ajmal.

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    5. There are a few posts on Perfume Posse (if it's OK to link to other blogs here) where they describe attars from one particular source:
      http://perfumeposse.com/2010/07/06/tigerflag-attars/

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  9. Hi Kate! I phoned le Senteurs in London, which is the shop I am sending my brother to, and found out they were out of stock on L'air du Desert. This was a great relief because I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to defy all the highly knowledgeable perfumistas out there (even though they all counsel that one should follow ones OWN nose) and go for La Maroc instead. Whew, they didn't have it and so - I am requesting La Maroc! And even better, I spritzed my sample on today and b.f. said - 'that smells nice'. I almost did a somersault on the spot!

    I was wondering whether you have smelled the (very mainstream) Gaultier 2? Many reviewers claim that it smells like grape soda or grape bubbalicious. I like the smell of grape soda and so bought a small bottle a month ago. I also received some Annick Goutal samples a few weeks ago and was surprised to find a similar note in Myrrh Ardente (much more restrained, of course). I also re-sniffed my Lutens La Myrrh sample and thought I detected the same note there. I was wondering then whether Gaultier 2 does feature a strong myrrh note - though it is promoted as a 'simple' combination of vanilla, amber and musk.

    I guess another way of asking it is to ask whether myrrh has an aspect similar to synthetic grape?

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    1. I've not smelled Gaultier 2. Myrrh in perfume strikes me as borderline-fruity root beer, not specifically "grape", but if that's how it's tickling your taste buds in Myrrh Ardente, then maybe so.

      Ah, here's something interesting: I remembered that Cuir Venenum by Parfumerie Generale smells grape jammy, and when I Googled the listed notes, myrrh is included. You could be on to something!

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    2. Hi Katie & Merlynn, when I first read the comment I thought What ?? myrrh is NOT sweet in any way or form, it is herbal, dry, it can be smoky cos we some times burn it like insence, it has powdery quality too. The word myrrh is Arabic & means bitter . In the row material I never get sweet or fruity smell. Hessa

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    3. Good point, Hessa - yes, the real deal is everything you say. That's why I was careful to write "myrrh in perfume", because the ingredient in mass-produced fragrances is manipulated to emphasize the less challenging aspects.

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  10. Enjoying your collection updates! Your videos are so entertaining, though our tastes don't seem to overlap that much (I am not much into roses... woody or oudy are really an olfactory enemy of mine!).
    Talking about diverging tastes, a year ago I won a bottle of Ayoon al maya (a perfume website organised a contest, we were to choose an attar based on a scented paper strip and write a few lines) and when I received the beautiful package... oh my! I found it too potent and rosy and oudy for my tastes!
    I kick myself for not having asked for Homage instead. But I am an absolute dummie when it comes to judge my liking of a perfume based on a mouillette...

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    1. Thanks for your kind remarks, Zazie. And if it's any consolation, you wouldn't have been any better off with Homage. It's just as rosy/oudy, and it leans towards aromatic rather than floral-sweet. But wowie, what a great prize!!! I'd love to read what you wrote to win it. Could you share the lines with us here?

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    2. The lines I wrote would make you laugh! Luckily they are in Italian, so I am spared the embarassment, am I? ;)
      In any case it *was* a great prize, and I am very grateful for the gift. I wish I didn't trust the mouillette, given my shameful records...
      I have a small sample of homage, and I like it: I find the rose note really wonderful AND friendly(a rarity!), though on my skin I also smell something white-musky and clean that I find a bit cheap (despite the price of the attar)! Overall I am sorry my tiny vial is almost empty, though I am sure a jasmine attar would be much more suited to my tastes (I think there is one, but haven't smelled it...have you?)

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    3. I have smelled the Amouage jasmine attar, but not recently. Will look out for it next time I'm at an Amouage counter and report back.

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